Bolt-setting apparatus



April 14, 1970 A. FISCHER BOLT-SETTING APPARATUS los Inventorwww Wwew (fiek,

United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 227- 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bolt-setting apparatus includes a barrel having an open end. A plunger is arranged in the barrel for reciprocation between a retracted position and an advanced position closer to the open end. An adapter is provided and comprises a first portion which is receivable in the open end of the barrel so as to extend into the path of movement of the plunger when the same moves to the advanced position, and a second portion which is remote from the first portion and which is provided with a coupling means for connecting the second portion with a projectile which is to be driveninto a support when the iirst portion receives impetus from the plunger during movement of the same toward the advanced position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to bolt-driving or boltsetting apparatus.

Bolt-setting apparatus utilizing plungers which are advanced from a retracted position towards an advanced position within a barrel of the apparatus upon the sudden release of stored energy, are well known.

Known apparatus of this type has suffered from a variety of disadvantages, however. In particular, whereever bolts are to be driven into a support where the outwardly extending rear portion is screw threaded it has heretofore been known to impact only the rearwardlyfacing end face of the bolt with the plunger. This is done to avoid damage to the threads of the bolt. This, inturn, has made it impossible to utilize bolts of any substantial length, particularly when such bolts were to be driven into hard or non-homogeneous material, because the application of the force to the bolt at a relatively great distance from the tip either causes bending of the bolt or tilting of the bolt so that its axis extends no longer normal to the surface into which the bolt is to be driven. This, on the other hand, has heretofore made it impossible to directly connect to a support any auxiliary element which is to be maintained at some spacing from the surface of the support, or which has portions which are located at some distance from the surface of the support and through which the bolt must extend. Under these circumstances, it has heretofore always been necessary to thread an extension portion onto the outwardly extending portion of the bolt, and to use this extension portion to support the auxiliary element. This, however, is timeaconsuming and therefore expensive. In many cases, it was even necessary to predrill holes in the auxiliary element and in the support and to place the bolt through the aligned holes with nuts or similar abutment portions being provided on opposite sides of the auxiliary element and the support, respectively.

An attempt has been made to overcome some of these disadvantages by providing elongated bolts of much greater longitudinal extension than those mentioned above, wherein the bolt is provided with an abutment shoulder in the region of its leading end which is to be driven into the support. The propulsion force is transmitted to this abutment shoulder rather than to the rear- 3,506,177 Patented Apr. 14, 1970 Fice wardly-directed end face of the bolt and the aforementioned problems as to buckling or tilting of the bolt are thereby overcome. To assure that the bolt axis is strictly normal to the surface into which the leading end of the bolt is to be driven, a cap of readily displaceable material is placed around the tip to center the latter within the cap, and the cap has an end wall which is normal to the bolt axis when the tip of the bolt is properly centered within the cap.

While bolts of this type have been found to be highly advantageous, and are particularly suited for fastening to a support of straight or corrugated sheets and other members Iwhich are to be spaced partly or completely at a distance from the support, a problem has been encountered in the use of such bolts in conventional bolt-setting apparatus. The reason is that, in bolt-setting apparatus of the type wherein a plunger reciprocates in a barrel, safety devices are incorporated for preventing accidental trigering of the plunger and ejection of a bolt by the plunger from the barrel when the apparatus is not in proper position, or when the apparatus is not intended to be used. Such accidental triggering could, of course, bring with it the danger of considerable damage to property or, even worse, of serious injuries to personnel. Such safety arrangements entail the biasing of the plunger to advanced position, so that the plunger normally assumes an advanced position in the apparatus barrel. To place the apparatus into condition ready for use a bolt is inserted into the barrel into the contact with the leading end of the plunger, the tip of the bolt is placed against the surface into which the bolt is subsequently to penetrate, and pressure is then exerted on the barrel in the direction towards this surface. This causes the plunger to move inwardly or rearwardly to its retracted position in which, once this position is reached, the plunger is held by a suitable detent arrangement well known in the art. The problem with using the aforementioned type of bolts, which is considerably longer than those conventionally used in the conventonal bolt-setting apparatus, with such plunger-type devices rises from the fact that the distance between the outer exposed surface of the auxiliary element against which surface the end face of the barrel at the open end thereof engage when the plunger is fully retracted because this end face abuts the outer exposed face of the auxiliary element and thus provides proper positioning of the bolt axis normal to the end face, and the surface of the support into `which the bolt is to be driven, and which support is inwardly spaced from the outer exposed face of the auxiliary element, varies usually within a wide range. This is occasioned byplacing of insulating material between the support and the auxiliary element, by overlapping of two or more of the auxilitary elements, and the like. This causes a constant variation in the extent to which the plunger must be retracted, or putting this differently, to the extent to which the barrel must be advanced in forward direction before the end face of the barrel engages the outer exposed face of the auxiliary member. In many instances, rthe distance will be either too great or too small to permit proper positioning of the plunger in the retracted position thereof. These problems can be overcome, of course, by exchanging the plunger for a plunger of greater or lesser length. However, this is not only timeconsuming but also frequently impossible because the necessary length frequently cannot be gauged because the surface of the support into which the bolt is to be driven is not usually accessible and generally cannot even be visually observed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes these disadvantages. More particularly, the present invention provides a bolt-setting apparatus which permits automatic compensation for the aforementioned variations without requiring the exchange of the plunger for a plunger of greater or lesser length.

The present invention also provides an adapter for carrying out the purpose of the invention in conjunction with a conventional bolt-setting apparatus of the plunger type.

In accordance with one feature of my invention, I provide a bolt-setting apparatus which includes a barrel having an open end and a plunger which is arranged in the barrel for reciprocation therein in a predetermined direction between a retracted position in which the plunger is remote from the open end, and an advanced position to which the plunger is propelled in response to sudden release of stored energy. An adapter is also provided in accordance with my invetion andl this includes a first portion receivable in the open end Vof the barrel so that it extends into the path of movement of the plunger as the latter moves from its retracted to its advanced position, and a second portion which is remote from the first portion. The second portion is provided with means for connecting the second portion with a projectile, namely a bolt or similar member, which is to be driven into a support when the first portion receives an impetus from the plunger for movement in the predetermined direction mentioned above.

The novel features which are consdered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a top-plan view, in partial longitudinal section, of a bolt-setting apparatus embodying my invention; and

FIG. 2 is a detail view, partly sectioned and on a larger scale, of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Discussing now the drawing in detail, it will be seen that I have illustrated therein a support, in this instance constituted by an I-beam 2 to one surface of which a corrugated plate 1 is to be secured. The corrugated plate 1 is provided in one of its crests with a bore. A boltsetting apparatus embodying my invention is shown in FIG. 1 in readiness for release or triggering. Reference numeral 3 identifies an elongated bolt having a tip or leading end portion 4 which is surrounded by a cap 5 of plastic or another frangible material, or material which is readily penetrable or deflectable by the tip 4 of the bolt 3 when the same is driven through the cap into the beam 2. The purpose of the cap 5 is, as mentioned earlier, simply to provide a planar end wall which is placed into surface-to-surface abutment with the beam 2 so as to assure that the axis of the bolt extends strictly normal to the surface of the beam 2 into which the bolt is to be driven.

Rearwardly of the tip 4 the bolt 3 is provided with a radial flange 6 which, when the bolt is driven into the beam 2, limits the penetration by engaging the exposed surface of the beam 2.

An adapter, which does not constitute part of the bolt, is identified with reference numeral 7 and is provided with an axial recess or bore into which the rear end portion of the bolt 3 is placed so as to be frictionally retained therein, threaded thereinto, or similarly retained.

FIG. 2 illustrates these various components in greater detail. In FIG. 2, the bolt is identified with reference numeral 103, the tip of the bolt is identified with reference numeral 104 and the cap is identified with reference numeral 10S. Reference numeral 106 identifies the radial ange, reference numeral 107 identifies the adapter, and it will be seen that the rear end portion of the bolt 103 is provided in this instance with an external screw thread 108 which mates with an internal screw thread 109 provided in the exterior of the axial recess of the adapter 107. As FIG. 2 shows clearly, the thread 10S is threaded into the cooperating thread 109 to such an extent that the front end face 110 of the adapter 107 abuts the rearwardly-directed annular shoulder which is defined by the radial flange 106 of the bolt 103. It is advantageous in accordance with the invention that the threads 108 and 109 mesh only loosely, namely by having the thread 109 be significantly larger than the thread 108, so that during penetration of the bolt into the material of the beam 2 no damage occurs to the threads even if the-advantageously hardened-end face 110 of the adapter 107 should penetrate slightly into the relatively soft material of the radial flange 106 provided on bolt 103.

Once the bolt 103 or, as shown in FIG. 1, the bolt 3 is received in the adapter 7, the later is placed through the bore in the corrugated member 1. The dimensions of the bore are of course so selected that it is just sufficiently large to permit passage therethrough of the cap 5 and of the adapter 7. The end face of the cap 5 is now placed into surface-to-surface abutment With the beam 2 and a conventional bolt-setting apparatus is connected to the adapter 7 by introducing the free rear end 12 of the adapter 7 into the open end of the barrel 11 of the apparatus. In the illustrated embodiment, it is clear that the plunger 14 which is reciprocable in the barrel 11 is provided at its front end with a recess configurated to normally accept rear end portions of bolts of the conventional shorter type. In this instance this recess accepts the complementarily configured rear end portion 12 of the adapter 7.

Thereupon, the operator grasps the handle portion 13 of the bolt-setting device and pushes the barrel 12 in the direction of the arrow P. This causes the plunger 14 and the rear end portion of the adapter 7 to move nwardly until the plunger 14 has reached its rearmost position just ahead of a propelling means which, in the illustrated embodiment, is assumed to be a cartridge 15 of gun powder, but which could also be of any other conventional type. FIGS. 1 and 2 both illustrate that forwardly of the end portion 12 the adapter is provided with an enlarged portion 20 which defines a rearwardly-facing annular abutment shoulder which, just before the rear end face of the plunger 14 moves into engagement with the cartridge 15, abuts the free end face of the barrel 11, thus terminating further inward movement of the plunger 14 and of the adapter 7. The apparatus is now in the condition illustrated in FIG. l and is ready for use. To effect penetration of the bolt 3, or rather of the tip 4 thereof, -into the material of the beam 2, it is simply necessary for the operator to move the member 17 in the direction of the arrow P, for instance, by means of a hammer blow. This results in ignition of the cartridge 15 and the expanding gases generated thereby rapidly push the plunger 14 forwardly and drive the tip 4 of the bolt 3 into the material of the beam 2. Once the tip 4 of the ibolt 3 is thus embedded the bolt 3 is separated from the adapter 7, for instance in the illustrated embodiment by unscrewing the adapter 7 from the bolt 3, and a nut can now be threaded onto that portion of the bolt 3 which projects out beyond the member 1, thus securing the latter to the [beam 2.

FIG. 1 illustrates a protective arrangement for protecting the operator from injury in the event that a mishap should occur, for instance that a splinter or other small portion should break loose from the member 1 while the bolt is driven into the beam 2. This arrangement comprises a cup-shaped member 18 which is suitably secured to the lbarrel 11 of the apparatus, for instance by means of set screws or the like, and which in turn carries a sleeve 19 which is fioatingly arranged within the member 18 and biased to expanded forward position by a suitable spring or the like. It is the sleeve 19 which closes off the space around the bore in member 1 through which the bolt extends, thus protecting an operator from injury in case of a mishap.

In the event that the bore in the member 1 should :be so offset, accidentally, that the bolt tip 4 either does not completely penetrate into the beam 2 or even glides off along one edge thereof, or if during triggering of the apparatus the tip of the bolt does not penetrate in direction directly normal to the exposed surface of the beam 2, the forward advance of the bolt 3 and 0f the extension or adapter 7 terminates when the conical rearwardly-diverging surface of the enlargement on the adapter 7 engages the outer face of the member 1. This is also true if accidentally the apparatus is used with a support whose material is much less resistant to penetration that was assumed, for instance if this support should consist of wood or plaster instead of iron.

It should be understood, of course, that a variety of modifications is possible in the embodiment illustrated without departing from the concept of the invention. Thus, the enlargement 201 can be of substantially greater diameter than illustrated and the safety arrangement, including the sleeve 19 thereof, can be differently configurated or constructed. It will also be evident that the apparatus disclosed herein can be used to drive lbolts into a support, such as the beam 2, even before the member 1 is placed thereonto. In this case, it is simply necessary to change the configuration of the end face of the sleeve 119 which, as illustrated in FIG. 1, is conformed in this embodiment to the crests of the corrugations. It is also clear that the illustrated bolt-setting apparatus per se has been shown by way of example only, and that other bolt-setting apparatus can be readily substituted as long as it is of the plunger type. When such substitution occurs it is simply necessary to vary the distance a which, as shown in FIG. 2, in the illustrated embodiment, is so selected that the enlargement 120 will abut against the free end face of the barrel 11 when the plunger 14 has reached its innermost position, in accordance with the dimensions of the apparatus used, and also by varying the diameter of the rearward extension 112 so that it can be received in the ibarrel of the apparatus which is to be substituted for that shown in FIG. 1.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of apparatus differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a bolt-setting apparatus, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. A bolt-setting apparatus comprising, in combination, a barrel having an open end provided with a forwardly facing abutment face; a plunger arranged in said barrel for reciprocation therein in predetermined direction between a retracted position in which said plunger is remote from said open end, and an advanced position to which it is propelled in response to sudden release of stored energy; and an adapter having a first portion receivable in said open end of said barrel to thereby extend into the path of movement of said plunger from said retracted to said advanced position, and a second portion extending forwardly from said first portion and provided with means ,Ifor connecting said second portion with a projectile which is to be driven into a support when said first portion receives an imetus from said plunger for movement in said predetermined direction, said adapter further having an abutment shoulder positioned for abutting engagement with said abutment face when said first portion is received in said open end and said plunger is in said retracted position, to thereby limit the extent to which said first portion enters into said barrel.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said second portion is provided with means for releasably connecting said second portion with a projectile.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said plunger comprises a leading end portion provided with an axial recess, said first portion of said adapter being provided with an axial extension having a cross-sectional configuration complementary to that of said recess so as to be receivable therein.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said adapter is provided in the region of said second end portion with a radial -ange having a first side facing said first end portion and provided with said abutment shoulder, and a second side facing said second end and provided with a conically tapering engagement surface.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said second portion of said adapter is provided with a cylindrical recess extending toward said first portion, and wherein said means comprise internal screw threads provided in said recess and being of a configuration substantially larger than the cooperating screw threads provided on that portion of a projectile which is to be accommodated in said recess so as to obtain loose meshing of the cooperating screw threads.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said second portion of said adapter is provided with a cylindrical recess extending toward said first portion, and

Vwherein said means comprise internal screw threads provided in said recess and adapted to mesh with cooperating screw threads provided on that portion of a projectile which is to be accommodated in said recess, and wherein said adapter consists of a hardenable material which is hardened at least in the region of said second portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,499,227 2/ 1950 Miles 227-8 2,925,603 2/ 1960 Pfaff et al 227--8 2,999,571 9/ 1961 Huber 227-9 XR 3,066,302 12/1962 De Caro et al. 227-l0 3,110,032 ll/l963 De Coartex 227-10 3,129,429 4/ 1964 Hilti 227-10 3,144,387 8/ 1964 .Adolph 227--10 GRANVILLE Y. CUSTER, JR., Primary Examiner 

